Joaquin Phoenix Walks the Walk

Actor Joaquin Phoenix, who stars in the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line that opens November 18, has created an Oscar buzz that already has reached a climactic roar. However, it’s not just Joaquin’s performance that has caused a stir-his onscreen clothing specifications have also sent the press into a tizzy. “He refused to wear anything made of leather,” a source told MSNBC.com. “So even Johnny Cash’s signature cowboy boots had to be approved by PETA.” Apparently, this “man in black” isn’t a man in leather.

Of course, this isn’t news to peta2. Joaquin recently attended PETA’s 25th Anniversary Gala and Humanitarian Awards Show, where he accepted an award on behalf of good friend and fellow vegan actor Casey Affleck, and has worked with PETA on numerous occasions in the past. He starred in PETA’s first-ever vegan commercial (asking grocery store shoppers to spare the turkeys at Thanksgiving) and posed for an anti-fur poster that was unveiled at the famous SPA nightclub in New York. Want to see Joaquin in action? Here’s a peek of the trailer so you can see what all the fuss is about.